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ALBANY, N.Y. -- As head coach Jimmy Patsos opined, Marquis Wright simply would not let the Saints lose. On an afternoon where the senior guard scored his milestone 1,000th career point, Wright dazzled with a career-high tying 31-point effort to lead Siena Basketball to an 89-78 season opening victory over Cornell in front of 6,196 at the Times Union Center.

"My quote of the game is Marquis wouldn't let us lose," said Patsos. "You know Brett never lets us lose, but Marquis just looked over and said we're not losing this game. I hope some of the younger guys see what Marquis does. He's fiery; he keeps taking the big shot. But he plays defense, then he hustles, he comes over, and he listens to me. He's a complete player."

The 42nd member of the Saints' 1,000 Point Club, Wright shot 9-18 from the field including 4-8 from distance. Siena's floor general added five assists without a turnover in 38 spectacular minutes.

"It's my last first home game," reflected Wright. "So the mindset was different. I just had a great feeling and didn't want to lose."

Fellow 1,000 Point Club member and classmate Brett Bisping added a double-double with 23 points on 8-11 shooting and 15 rebounds for Siena which won its lid-lifter for the first time in five years.

Following a slow start, the Saints caught fire erupting for 33 points over the final 10:29 of the first half. Siena closed on a 27-8 run to claim what would prove to be their biggest lead of the game, in taking a 48-34 lead at the break.

The Saints drained seven of their 11 threes over the opening 20 minutes, in matching the program's highest first half scoring output since tallying 49 points in an 83-54 triumph over UAlbany on Dec. 5, 2009.

Siena held Cornell (0-2) at arm's length for most of the second half, although the Big Red reeled off a mini 12-5 spurt midway through the stanza to rally as close as 63-59 on a Matt Morgan three with 9:08 to go.

But Wright and Bisping wouldn't let this one get away, making key plays on both ends of the court down the stretch to help the Saints improve to 31-10 in home openers during the program's Division I era.

Four Siena players finished in double figures as sophomore guard Nico Clareth and senior forward Javion Ogunyemi collaborated with Wright and Bisping to account for 81 of the Saints' 89 points. Clareth scored 13 of his 14 points during an impressive opening half performance, while Ogunyemi poured in 13 points in 19 foul plagued minutes.

Cornell placed five in double figures, with Morgan and Stone Gettings pacing a balanced attack with 16 points apiece.

Siena continues its grueling opening stretch featuring seven games over the first 17 days -- and opens play with the first of four games in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic -- when the Saints travel to the nation's capital to face defending NIT Champion George Washington Tuesday night at 7 p.m.